1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for the attachment of an igniter electrode to a gas burner, and an electrode and burner body shaped for such attachment.
In greater detail the subject matter of this invention relates to an attachment system for a flame ignition electrode which is easy to assemble on a support on the body of a burner during the process of manufacture, in particular during the process of manufacturing a hob, a gas cooker or a boiler, and which can easily be removed in the event of repair.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gas burners in which the flame igniter electrode is attached to a support extending from the body of the gas burner by means of a metal clip are known in the art. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, this attachment takes place through an annular groove in the body of the electrode located in the part of the electrode projecting beneath the support into which an attachment clip is inserted.
In addition to requiring an operation of assembling the gas hob after the electrode has been assembled with the burner body, this known method of attachment also requires there to be a certain amount of lateral space for insertion of the clip by the operator, which typically requires two separate manual movements—namely inserting the igniter and holding the igniter in position while attaching the clip. Finally, because of its dimensions, the clip restricts possible configurations for mounting burners fitted with an igniter electrode, especially where the profile of the electrode together with that of the burner body has to be particularly compact in order not to project greatly from the surface of the hob. These configurations are normally referred to as flat burners.
A gas burner which has an annular base provided with a housing and an external support of ceramic shaped in such a way as to engage the housing, and which provides a support for the burner igniter electrode, is known from document GB-A-225633. This solution requires an additional annular base which extends around the body of the burner, but which is not of one piece with the burner body itself, because this base has to be fitted above the working surface, on the side opposite the burner body. With regard to the previously-described solution the position of the electrode on the annular support makes electrical connection of the electrode to the high voltage current generating unit which produces the discharge more complex. In fact in the solutions previously described the electrode already connected to the cable can be pre-assembled to the burner body and can be immediately connected to the unit through a single connection. In this complex configuration two electrical cable connections are however necessary: the first to the unit and the second to the electrode. In addition to this the connection to the electrode can be made, with difficulty, only when the working surface is enclosed, because the annular base and the electrode are of one piece with it. Incorporation of the annular base into the burner body is not therefore possible.